We asked dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan to please explain. She also deconstructs Carr's day on a plate.

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"Steel-cut oats are less common in Australia than rolled oats, but are more widely used in the US and in Scotland," she says.

"Rather than steaming and rolling the grain as is done to make rolled oats, the whole grain is chopped or sliced.

Bob Carr. Photo: AFP

"When you cook steel-cut oats, the result is a more robust, nuttier porridge and tastes quite different to rolled oats. (My Scottish mother would only ever make porridge with steel-cut oats!)

"Oats make for a great start to the day, being rich in fibre, especially soluble fibre that boosts the growth of good bacteria in your gut and helps to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in your blood.

"The antioxidants in oats have also been shown to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The berries Bob has with his oats add more antioxidants, including vitamin C.

"I'm assuming he eats his poached eggs separately. They boost the protein content of his breakfast, while adding a host of nutrients found in the yolk including a few omega-3 fats and carotenoids associated with good eye health.

"All up, it's a pretty sound, nutrient-dense breakfast. His fish dinner provides protein, but it does sound rather boring. But from a nutritional perspective that's fine so long as he adds a whole host of veggies to go with it.

"We need a minimum of five serves of veggies a day and a broad array of different types to gain all the plant compounds we need for optimal health. He doesn't mention lunch but I hope he is not going all day with nothing.

"A nutritious lunch, including a protein-rich food and a low GI fibre-rich carb, can help to prevent loss of muscle as we age, control your appetite through the day while keeping energy levels and concentration up through the afternoon."

3 comments so far

Please dissect the ALP humble pie - pparently there is still plenty to consume.

Commenter

enough is enough

Date and time

April 10, 2014, 10:16AM

Well, the first real expert consulted and much maligned Bob is vindicated. He has just proved that anyone who is obviously different (skin colour etc) is not the only category of human being who can be vilified. Just explain to the world how you eat a well designed, healthy diet and you are in trouble. So he hit a raw nerve.We want to believe in the fairies and we want to continue feeling good about putting all that unhealthy food in our bodies! Unfortunately for some, if we all ate healthily, scads of manufacturing of the unhealthy stuff would be finished. There would be more people available to work in those nurturing roles that are so important but badly paid and frowned upon.For those who find balancing the budget difficult -- try limiting your food shopping to fresh unmanufactured products -- fruit and veges, fresh meat and cook them yourself in a simple way.

Commenter

EM

Date and time

April 10, 2014, 10:38AM

I just call them oatmeal. Either way they make far better porridge than rolled oats. Unfortunately you can't seem to get them in supermarkets so you have to pay health food store prices for a basic staple.